Rotary turbine type torque converter for varying speed ratios



Sept, 1953 o. w. ROOSEVELT ROTARY TURBINE TYPE TORQUE CONVERTER FOR VARYING SPEED RATIOS 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan.

Sept. 15, 1953 o. w. ROOSEVELT 5 9 ROTARY TURBINE TY E TORQUE CONVERTER R VARYING ED RATIOS Original Filed Jan. 20,

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mt WZ W ad ,6 w PM W w w fiepto 15, 1953 o. w. ROOSEVELT ROTARY TURBINE TYPE TORQUE CONVERTER FOR VARYING SPEED RATIOS Original Filed Jan. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 w r 7 C 0O 4 e 0 5 3 a w w o 6 i WM r Z a 3 x h o R 4 a f 3 K g gwum vtm 0/2506;- W fioosevel Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES E ATENT OFFICE ROTARY TURBINE TYPE TORQUE CON- VERTER FOR VARYING SPEED RATIOS Oliver W. Roosevelt, New York, N. Y.

8 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to a torque converter adapted to be used for any desired purpose, but which is especially applicable in connection with transmissions, as, for instance, on automotive vehicles such as taxicabs, buses, trucks, 'rail cars and locomotives.

This application is a division of my copending application upon Power Diversion Transmission, Ser. No. 573,740, filed January 20, 1945,

now Patent No. 2,551,396, issued May 1, 1951.

The object of my invention is to provide a torque converter, by means of which various speed ratios may be obtained. Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which is adapted. to be used in connection with transmissions involving a hydraulic impeller. A further object is to provide in this connection, rotatable adjustable runner blades controlled by the speed of operation. Another object is to provide virtually universal gear ratio permitting shock-free acceleration. Another object is to provide means for starting a motor vehicle using the minimum required engine power under any conditions of road or grade. Another object is to eliminate unnecessary engine strains due to forcing the operation of the motor at too low a gear ratio. Still another object is to eliminate shocks and wear, as well as loss in efficiency, when changing the gear ratios. Accordingly, my invention is designed to provide greater operating efficiency and longer life of the engine, chassis, body and tires of automobiles. This is of great importance, especially in connection with the operation of taxicabs, buses, light and heavy trucks, etc. Still another object is to provide means for altering or automatically changing the gear ratios and, when desired, to eliminate the automatic gear ratio changing mechanism and provide a direct drive. Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description of the same hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form thereof in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view of a power diversion transmission made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on several different planes;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same showing a part of the runner;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the clutch shoes and operating levers forming a part of the gear ratio changing transmission;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of one of the free wheeling or ratchet device used in connection with my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a similar section of another free wheeling or ratchet connection in the transmission made in accordance with my invention.

In the drawings I have shown a driving shaft which may be connected to or form a part of any desired motor, as for example an integral combustion motor, mounted on a vehicle, such for instance as a taxicab or bus, the same being carried in any suitable bearings 2 forming part of a transmission housing 3. The inner end of the shaft l is also supported for relative rotation in a recess 4 in a driven shaft 5, the said shaft 5 being connected to drive the vehicle by the usual manually operated synchro-mesh gear engagement for direct drive, plus a reverse gear,

' and universal joint (not shown) which may be constructed in the usual manner. The shaft 5 is carried in bearings 6 and l forming a part of the transmission housing 3. On the shaft I, furthermore, there are mounted, for rotation therewith, a plurality of radial shafts 8, each of which carries a conical satellite gear 9 spaced away from the shaft, and which is maintained in place by a disc member I3 secured to the shaft 8. The conical satellite gears 9 on one side mesh with a gear face I! of an annular power-diversion gear i2 rotatable on the shaft I and which is supported by a bearing I forming a part of the transmission housing 3, and on the other side mesh with a gear 9a fast on the shaft 5. The said gear I 2, furthermore, has a cylindrical periphery M acting as a friction brake, with pivoted brake shoes 15 and it, the lower ends of which can be forced together by means of a rotatable cam shaft H, or any other usual means, operated by a hand lever it. It will be noted that the brake shoes [5 and I6 have guide ribs l9 and 20, respectively, which cooperate, respectively, with recesses 2| and 22 carried by the walls of the transmission housing 3.

The gear [2, furthermore, has a gear face 23 which mesheswith a gear face 24 of a gear 25 tightly secured to a shaft 26 carried by bearings 2? in the housing 3, the said gear 25 being connected by means of a series of subsidiary gear shafts 28 to said shaft 26. The said subsidiary gear shafts 28, furthermore, carry conical gears 29 thereon which are spaced away from the shaft 25. The said conical gears 29, also, mesh with an annular floating gear 31 rotatably carried by the shaft 26 and supported in a bearing 32 on the said housing 3. The outer periphery of the floating gear 3| has a friction face 33 to cooperate with a pair of pivoted brake shoes 34 and 35, having guide ribs 35 and 31 carried in recesses 38 and 39 in the housing 3. The brake shoes 34 and 35 can be brought into and out of engagement to any desired extent with the friction face 33 by means of a hand lever 34a which operates cams 34b and 34c to bring the brake shoes 34 and 35 together to any desired extent. However,

they may be brought together, also, automatically by a hydraulic cylinder 35dhavingfpistons .1

35b and 35c bearing on levers 35d'and 352, on

fixed pivots 35f and 35g, which bearonthe brake shoes 34 and 35.

The said shaft 25, at its inner end, isrotatably carried in a recess 40 in ashaft 4| which is sup-.-

ported in a bearing 42 in the said housing. The said shaft 4|, furthermore, has a bevelled gear 43 having a gear face 44 meshing with thegearsx 29. Adjacent to the said gear face 44, the gear 43 is; also, provided with a'freew-heeling connection 45 with the gear-25'by meansof tapered ball recesses 450. having balls 45b therein intheiusual way; so arranged that the l gear 43 may travel faster than the gear 25', but sothat the gear 43 :25

must-travel at least as fastas the gear 25.

The'inner end ofthe shaft 4| is rotatably carried in a recess 45 in-a shaft 4'! supported in: a bearing 48 in the said-housing, to which shaft 41 thereis secured-a rotatable runner 49. periphery of the shaft there is an impeller 59 having a seriesof impeller blades5| and 52, all ofisai'd." blades being=arrangedradially and connected together-by a wall 52a, but the blades-52 being arrangedxto alternate with the blades 5| and being: somewhat shorter :than the blades 5 as showninFigz 2. The impeller blades 5| and 52 are arranged adjacent to a series of stationary guideblacles 53 and 54 carried in afixed position in'the housing 3, which blades53-an'd 54-=are-also arranged radially and are connected togetherby a wall 54d, the blades53having inner curved ends- 55 which'iextend down to*a point near the shaft 4|. In this way chambers 56 areformed by the blades 5 and 52; which communicate with chambers 5"! between the blades 53 and 54 to form a circulation space which may be preliminarily filled with". any desired? liquid; as for example an oil or hydraulic brake fluid. The chambers-.55

and 51' can be kept supplied" with: this fluid similar set of conical gear teeth 1| which are on'a.

shaft't'l'. Furthermore, on each shaft 61 there area number of conical gear teeth 12 which will mesh with a similar'number'of conical gear teeth '|3-'onashaft'ES: Each said shaft 68 is journalled insocketsl4 in'th'e runner 49, and the ends of the alternate shafts 68', which extend beyond the runner 49, are each provided with a centrifugal counterweight E5; Also, on each of the shafts 63 there are peripheral gear'faces 15 which mesh with intermediate gears 'l'l'located between-the respective shafts '68, so that all of =said centrifugal counterweights 15 will operate in unison (Fig. 2).

Journall'edlon the shaft 41 furthermore, there is rotatably carriedran' annular gear 18; and between the said gear "|8-'and the pehipheryof the On the: 30

. the idli-ngspeeds'ofthe motor.

runner 49 there is arranged a free wheeling connection in the form of a series of balls 18a and tapered sockets 18?), as shown in Fig. 6, so arranged that the gear 18 may rotate faster than the runner 43, but so that the speed of the runher 49 cannotsexceedthe speed of the gear 18. On its periphery, gear 18 has a gear face 19 which meshes with gear teeth 30 on the periphery of a gear 8| which is keyed to the shaft 5.

Also, the cylinder 35a is connected by a pipe 827150 :a: space between any two of the blades 59. See Fig; 1. In circuit with the said pipe 82 there is'a plunger valve 83 normally seated in closed position by a spring 84, and which is connected to abell crank lever 85 by a link 85, said lever 85 -.mission madexin accordance with my invention,

it will be understood thatthe-motor, when. operating,- will, accordingly, rotate the shaft In .star ingthe. vehicle, the brake shoesel5 and IE wil be in releasedposition withregard to -the clutch surface l4. Also;-the=brake shoes '34 and 35 will bein released :posi-tionbefore the motor isbeing started. The torque from-theshaft l-is transmitted-through the satellite gears 9 and through the gears 9a and-|2-simnltaneouslyto the shaft 5"owing at least to the-restraint exercised by thegearing and the-impeller to which they are connected; When it is desired to transmit'the-driving force to the vehicle for moving the same, the: synchro-meshgear for direct driveinot'shown) connected to the shaft 5, is thrown intoengagement manually. At the idling speeds of the motor, this-will tend, already, to produce some. forward motion, inasmuch as the satellite-gears 9. willbe turning the gear |2 at .double the number of R.. P-. M. of the shaft usingthe gear 9f1/2LS afu-lcrum. Likewise, as a result of the rotation of the-gear I2, the gear 25 andthe shaft 4| .-will revolve, but the gearratio between the gear I2 and the gear 25 will produce verylittle power through the. torque converter at When the motor is accelerated, however, it transmits an effective torque to. the-shaft. 5, through the gear 9a and the runner 49-as well as the gear I8, owing to the .forceofthe circulatingv liquid in the chambers 55 and. which reacts against the fixed guide blades 53, 54',- 58 and 59 through the intervention of the movable bladesfifl, 6| and 6-2. When the vehicle is adequately in motion to meet the existing conditions, the brake lever 34a is preferably operated to slow down'the 'floating'gear 3| to the desired degree, so asto bring-it to a stop, thus doubling the speedrof the shaft 4| relative to the gear 25. The setting of the brake shoes 34 and 35 can be chosen. or predetermined in any desired way, either manually by the lever 34a or so as to bring the brake into action automatically, to the desired extent, by any suitablemechanism, as, for instance, according-to the increase-of speed of the runner 49, because-ofthecounterweights 75 pushing on the plunger 89 to open the communication of the valve 83 with-the pipe 82. Normally, when. the mechanism is at rest' the counterweights-15 will have. been returned to their initial position by the spring 84-. The greater the speed of the runner 49 the more the valve 83 is opened, thereby exerting hydraulic pressure to tighten the brake shoes 34, 35. The brake shoes 34 and 35 can be placed in a set position manually so as to retain the gear 3| at rest, under one set of road conditions, or they can be moved into said position automatically by the pressure from the pipe 82. It will be understood that with the increase of speed of the runner 49 the counterweights 75 will be moved outwardly. The brake shoes 34 and 35 can be released by the hand lever 34a before the vehicle is being started again or when unusual grade or other road conditions make it desirable to do so. As the shaft 5 acquires an increasing R. P. M., the counterweights "l5 tend to move the movable blades 60, El and 62 toward closed positions, so as to increase the R. P. M. of the runner 49 and the shaft 5, or to require relatively fewer R. P. M. of the annular gear l2, thus providing for fewer revolutions of the driving shaft I as compared with the driven shaft 5. Also, as the speed of the runner 49 increases the centrifugal weights will tend to move outwardly to move the plunger 89 and the brake shoes 34 and 35 will be tightened hydraulically from the action of the liquid in the pipe 35b. In this way, each additional acceleration of the motor serves to increase the R. P. M. of the driven shaft 5 as compared with the engine speed, and I have provided, thus, a flexible and constantly variable ratio of engine speed to the speed of the vehicle, varying from a low speed with a high torque to a high speed with a low torque.

Under the conditions of operation, furthermore,

the gear l2 may revolve more slowly than the driven shaft 5. When this has taken place to a sufiicient extent, if desired the brake shoes I5 and it may be operated by the hand lever 18 to bring the annular gear I2 to rest, thus producing an over drive. revolving twice as fast as the driving shaft l.

While I have described my invention above in detail it is to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided. with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial i-inreller blades, a plurality of additional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels in said circuit connected transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved. by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades having between each adjoining series of them one of the said series of fixed guide blades, the rotatably featherable runner blades having a centrifugal counterweight outside of the periphery of said chamber for changing the angle of the same.

2. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial impeller blades, a plurality of addi- The driven shaft 5 will then be tional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels in said circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades with connecting gears located between adjacent featherable blades.

3. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit, located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide whee1 having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial impeller blades, a plurality of additional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels in said circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades with connecting gears located between adjacent featherable blades, the rotatably featherable runner blades having a centrifugal counterweight outside the periphery of said chamber for changing the angle of the same.

4. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide whee1 having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial impeller blades, a plurality of additional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels in said circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades with connecting gears located between adjacent featherable blades, stud shafts on which the gears are carried and a ring carrying said stud shafts.

5. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial impeller blades, a plurality of additional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels in said circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades with connecting gears between the same and stud shafts on which the gears are carried, the rotatably featherable runner blades having a centrifugal counterweight for changing the angle of the same and a ring carrying said stud shafts.

6. A hydraulic torque converter provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guide blades in said cir- Quit. coaxiallyadjacent to: the impeller at the side. of. the radial impeller. blades, aplurality; of additional. guide wheels having: series of fixed blades, respectively, in said, circuit forming. channels: in said circuit connected together transversely of the outerperiphery. of theimpeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having-multiple series of rotatably' featherabl'erunner blades, the rotatably featherable runner blades having a centrifugal counterweight outside the periphery of said chamber. for changing the angle of the same, said: rotatably iea-therable runner blades being located in three'ieatherabl'e series which featherable.- series are on divergent shafts in the different series: respectively, said series of featherablerunner blades having between each adjoining series of them, respectively, one of said last mentioned series of fixed guide blades located insaid circuit.

7, A hydraulic torque converter provided with atorus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a series of impeller blades in said circuit located radially on theimpeller around its. axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guideblades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the radial impeller blades, a plurality of additional" guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming channels insaid circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runnercooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of r0- tatably featherable runner blades, the rotatably featherable runner blades having a centrifugal counterweight outside the periphery of said chamber for changing the angle of the same with the increasing speedof the runner, said rotatably featherable runner blades being located in three featherable series which series are ondivergent shafts in the different series respectively, said series of featherable runner blades having between each adjoining series of them,

respectively; one of said. last mentioned: series 01 fixed guide blades located in said, circuit.

8. A hydraulic torque converter, provided with a torus chamber fluid circuit, having a rotary hydraulic impeller provided with a. series ofi im: pellerblades in said circuit located radially on the impeller around its axis, a guide wheel having a series of fixed guide blades in said circuit coaxially adjacent to the impeller at the side of the: radial impeller blades, a plurality; of: additional guide wheels having series of fixed blades, respectively, in said circuit forming.- channelsain said circuit connected together transversely of the outer periphery of the impeller, and a rotary runner cooperating with the impeller to receive liquid moved by the impeller blades, said runner having multiple series of rotatably featherable runner blades and centrifugally operated gearing comprising weights outside the periphery of. said chamber on gear shafts constructed and arranged to adjust the position of the runner blades according tothe speed of the runner, tending to oppose the position of the rotatably featherable runner blades in relation to the force of the hydraulic liquid tending to open the position of the rotatably featherable runner blades;

OLIVER W. ROOSEVELT;

References Cited: in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date- 1,900,120 Lysholm et a1. Mar. 7, 1933 2,002,760 Wilson May 28, 1935 2,170,649 Banker Aug. 22, 1939 2,171,782 Cotterman Sept. 5, 1939 2,212,991 Schneider Aug. 27, 1940 2,235,673 Dodge Mar. 18, 1941 2,237,030 Gathmann Apr. 1, 19.41 2,271,919 Jandasek Feb. 3, 1942 2,313,645 Jandasek Mar. 9., 1943 2,327,647 Jandasek' Aug. 24, 1943 2,339,483 Jandasek Jan. 18; 1944 2,341,921.- Jandasek Feb., 15, 1944 2,352,482 Jandasek June 29, 1944 2,389,174 Whitworth Nov. 20, 1945 

